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15 Rugby dates to diarise in 2015

Date published: January 3 2015

2015 is set to be an epic year in Rugby. We took a look at the calendar and drew red circles around 15 games you do NOT want to miss.

Note: All kick-off times are local

FEBRUARY 6: Wales v England20h05 at Millennium Stadium, CardiffThe opening Game of the 2015 Six Nations is also a dress rehearsal for World Cup ‘pool of death’ clash on September 26. Victory here could provide momentum for the rest of the year.

FEBRUARY 28: France v Wales18h00 at Stade de France, ParisWales host both Ireland and England in the Six Nations so if they can win in Paris in Round 3, the trophy could be theirs for the taking.

MARCH 1: Ireland v England15h00 at Aviva Stadium, DublinThe other big game in Round 3. The losers here will struggle to be in the mix at the end of the Championship.

MARCH 21: England v France17h00 at Twickenham, LondonLe Crunch is the final game of the Six Nations Championship and the points difference in this fixture could well decide the tournament winner.

MAY 2: European Rugby Champions Cup Final17h00 at Twickenham, LondonCan anyone stop Toulon from becoming the first team in history to claim three consecutive European titles?

MAY 30: Aviva Premiership Final14h30 at Twickenham, London We’ve been treated to a few cracking Premiership finals in recent years. Will Northampton be present to defend their title?

MAY 30: Guinness PRO12 FinalAn Irish team has finished with the Celtic League trophy six times in the last eight years – will 2015 buck the trend?

JUNE 13 – Top 14 FinalStade de France, Paris This could be the last Top 14 at the Stade de France. The 2016 final will be held in Barcelona and the FFR hope their “Grand Stade” will be finished in time for the 2017 final.

JULY 4: Super Rugby FinalThe lack of June internationals means the Super Rugby Final will take place a month earlier than in 2014.

JULY 25: South Africa v New Zealand17h00 at Ellis Park, JohannesburgFor the third straight year, the Springboks will host the All Blacks in the city of gold. Jozi has been the venue for two epic battles between rugby’s powerhouses and we should expect more of the same. In the contest of a World Cup year, the result of this game will have a significant impact on the preparations of the two best teams on the planet.

SEPTEMBER 18: England v Fiji20h00 at Twickenham, London‘D-Day’ is a Friday as the hosts kick-off their Rugby World Cup campaign against a team capable of ruffling a few feathers.

OCTOBER 3: England v Australia20h00 at Twickenham, London Welsh fans may not agree but this could be the Pool A decider. Either way, the losers will be behind the eight ball as they try to qualify from the ‘Pool of Death’

OCTOBER 11: Australia v Wales16h45 at Twickenham, LondonThe final game of Pool A will decide which of the Tier 1 nations will miss out on the quarter-finals.

OCTOBER 11: France v Ireland16.45 Millennium Stadium, CardiffThis is set to be the Pool D decider. For the winners, the rewards is a clear path to a possible final as they are likely to avoid the southern hemisphere giants.

OCTOBER 31: Rugby World Cup Final16h00 at Twickenham, LondonMatch 48 is the one that counts. With the Springboks and All Blacks set to meet in the semi-finals, it’s likely we’ll be treated to another North v South battle.